SSX Blur

One of the best games for Wii thus far, which challenges on a hardcore level, and pays off with time and dedication.

Huge, meaty, substantial. It's a Wii title without a minigame in sight, yet it's as well suited to a quick thrash down the slopes as it is an all-night sesh. A winter sports game for all seasons. [Apr 2007, p.36]

SSX Blur looks great and plays brilliantly. The controls don't try to make you feel like a boarder - they just make you feel in touch with the game, and that's what the Wii is all about. [Apr 2007, p.76]

A brave experiment and one that's really paid off. Looks great, too. [May 2007, p.64]

Unless you suffer from extreme ADD and you simply cannot spend more then 15 minutes learning a new game without being immediately rewarded, then I strongly suggest you check this game out. You won't find anything like on any other game system.

A fantastic first entry for the series on the Wii. EA has done a lights-out job, and for SSX fans, this is a great sign of awesome things to come. The game is flat-out hard, and again, it will take you quite some time to master. When you do, though, it is just plain fun.

Blur makes great use of the unique controls of Nintendo’s new system without seeming like they were trying.

The one real problem I have with this game is that the ubertrick system doesn’t work nearly as well as it should. The new controls do add something new to the series, but almost the entire time I pined for something more traditional.

One of the most entertaining games on the Wii. If it weren’t for the recycled tracks, which come from earlier SSX games, this would be a must have. The ubertricks are a little annoying to pull off and unfortunately required to get far into the game, as well.

Like 2005's "On Tour", Blue lets you choose between boards and skis, but the rails and narrow passages of the environments are definitely built for shredding. [May 2007, p.84]

It replicates the feeling of sliding down a mountain side with eerie precision and manages to make other control schemes feel dated. There’s certainly plenty of opportunity for improvement with the sequel, but with a ton of content and even more fun, it’s hard to go wrong with SSX Blur.

SSX Blur for Wii isn’t a game for everyone, as its level of pure difficulty and motion control mastery is one of the highest on Wii. Still, for true gamers out there, SSX Blur comes as the ultimate challenge on Wii thus far. Ubers are an art form in and of themselves, track design is ruthless, and the Wii control is innovating, but not perfect yet.

Anyone who thought the last SSX was too easy will be excited by the motion-heavy mechanics, which require more than a few shakes and waves to trigger all those cool moves the series is known for producing.

With a career mode that will take hundreds of hours to complete 100% of the way and multiplayer support for up to four players, SSX Blur will undoubtedly compliment any Wii gamer’s collection.

No online play hurts, and the two-player split screen mode offers limited enjoyment, but overall, EA successfully "blurs" the line between realism and fantasy, creating a great video game for all ages.

It's one of the first Wii games to go beyond a gimmick and show players what the system is truly capable of.

Our only major gripe is that much of its content, i.e. gameplay modes, many of the tracks, and of course all the characters, are from previous SSX games. With the usual selection of half-pipe, racing and trick modes, there's not a great deal of new content in here for SSX veterans to discover, outside of mastering the new control system.

Don’t let the controls drive you away from this game, as there are more goodies to be had if you just spend some time with it.

SSX Blur is a genuine triumph and fits in perfectly with the series. [Apr 2007, p.104]

I would have liked to have seen a bit more customization, and it's unfortunate that the grab tricks got the shaft this time around, but those minor blemishes hardly prevent SSX Blur from being one of the Wii's first must-have titles of the year.

Although the controls feel slightly unwieldy and unresponsive at times, SSX Blur is still generally a lot of fun. The open mountain, tons of events and unlockable goodies, and motion sensitive controls go a long way to revitalizing the snowboarding genre.

In the case of SSX Blur and snowboarding, the console's motion controllers really do succeed in adding a sense of freedom and, if it's applicable to a videogaming representation of a sport, a certain naturalness to proceedings, unconfined by long-established methods of control.

Primary weaknesses of the title, beyond the learning curve, are blander-than-expected course designs, pyrotechnics and character personalities, in addition to the use of many minimally refreshed, recycled courses from older SSX titles. However, thanks to those new controls, SSX Blur is a fresh start for the franchise and sets a foundation for bigger and greater sequels, just as the series had in the last console generation.

SSX Blur does not use the full potential of the Wii controls. I want to twist, shout, jump and run around the TV screen, not just tilt the wiimote a little bit. The game looks and sounds great. [Apr 2007]

While the general controls are fun and easy, the uber moves are too difficult to pull off. This will be the biggest turn-off for most gamers. The game is just too difficult in this regard.

Its tricky control scheme is likely to be a divisive element, but those willing to spend considerable time with the tutorials should find SSX Blur to be a rather solid experience.

SSX Blur has its moments, both joyful and frustrating, but it winds up being a solid entry in the SSX series.

Maybe it was the developer switch or maybe it’s just that the Wii controls don’t fit the game, but SSX Blur is unfortunately a clunker. That being said, if you can get past the controls there is a ton of content to experience and unlock.

Once you master the controls you’ll enjoy the game for a while, but it will eventually you’ll find it hard to keep your interest in the game due in large part to the randomness of the tricks and the impossibly difficult to pull-off uber-tricks.

I really liked the game when I got over the controls' initial crazy learning curve, but after a while, my overall interest began to wane.

It’s important to stress that this game is not going to replace Wii Play on your kegger nights. SSX Blur requires a good deal of time to become competent at, and will reward you well for doing so. If you need a game that’s easy to pick up and play, you won’t find it here. What you will find is a solid evolution of an established franchise that was in need of a change.

Overly finicky controls are the biggest ding against this decent but not superlative version of SSX for Nintendo's winsome Wii.

The control scheme just doesn't feel as tactile and appropriate. The courses feel awfully familiar, despite being a little less flashy. The energy level doesn't seem quite as high, the presentation doesn't grab you with as much gusto. [Apr 2007, p.42]

The series is solid, but too little of this game is truly new, save for the functionality provided by the Wii's unique control scheme - and that doesn't quite work right.

It's a shame that the only real issue we had with Blur was its controls. If you can get over this the game is a blast, although not the SSX franchise's peak.

Blur will take you on a fantastic holiday, then, but perhaps not the most relaxing one. [May 2007, p.88]

Other than the frustrating experience with the Wii controls, Blur seems like a rather decent game.

We want a full-on SSX game for the Wii – one that feels like "SSX 5," not just a very competent spin-off. Blur will just about do until then, though.

By attempting to innovate the way the game is controlled, the overall quality of the title is far removed from what would be expected from an SSX diehard. EA really needs to hit the drawing board much harder for any future SSX Wii releases.

Many of the tracks and events have simply been lifted from earlier entries, and the controls aren't reliable enough to consistently deliver the elation that characterized the best SSX titles.

The net result of all this control confusion is that SSX Blur demands just as much mastery as its predecessors, but sets the bar for entry much higher, and never gives you the sense you're fully in control of clearing it.

Instead of making controlling your snowboarder easier, the Wii's new motion-sensing controls have made SSX much harder than it needs to be. What once was one of the best extreme sports franchises has been reduced to one of the most disappointing games of the year.

Patient players, prepared to persevere will be happy with Blur, but those expecting the same level of intuitiveness and accessibility as other Wii or SSX games are likely to be very frustrated.

Players with infinite patience and the strength of will to complete the game will be well rewarded, but those expecting the same level of intuitiveness and accessibility as other Wii or SSX games will be more than a little frustrated.

The game for me was just ok – it didn’t have the same sort of wow factor I had with previous games in the series – it just felt like more of the same except with a new (sometimes frustrating) control scheme.

No matter how badly you want to get into the game, to find the flow...the game doesn't let you. And that's too bad, because it really does look great, the multiplayer mode is basic yet competent, and there are flashes of true SSX brilliance.

As a "My First SSX," Blur is passable. But for longtime SSX fans, this installment's much too limited coursewise, the track design is as poor as "SSX on Tour's", and instead of innovating, the unreliable motion controls get in the way. [Apr 2007, p.80]

So much promise, yet it's all dashed on the ice due to sloppy,unresponsive and frustrating controls.

It all boils down to the controls. When you have the capability to utilize the innovative controls of the Wii, sure use them to the fullest extent, but don't leave the casual gamer in the powder while you do it.

Dedicated (read: sadistic) gamers willing to invest the time necessary to figure out the controls might get a kick out of this one, but the convoluted controls will turn off most players. The lesson here is clear: Wii developers need to start with a blank slate rather than graft old-school control schemes onto the Wii Remote because, as SSX Blur demonstrates, it just doesn't work.